•Mechanics at a Birmingham scrap yard only realised the animals there when they heard them meowing as the car was lowered into crushing machine•Workers believe a feral cat living near the scrapyard climbed inside the car and gave birth before abandoning her litter

By Jill Reilly

..When mechanics heard desperate meows from the boot of car as it was lowered into a giant scrap metal crusher, they sprang into action.

They quickly stopped the machine, and inspected the vehicle to find four tiny kittens, just days old, cowering next to the spare tyre.

Shocked workers at Taroni’s of Birmingham salvage firm, in the Aston area of the city, found the cute kittens last Thursday as they prepared to crush a 1989 Porsche 944.

Lucky escape: Mechanics working at a scrap yard only realised the animals were inside when they heard them meowing as it was lowered into the giant crushing machineManager Carl Dowling, 28, said: 'We bought the car from a private owner who wanted the money for scrap.

'The car had been in our yard for about two weeks until we drained the fluid down and prepared it for the crusher.

'Just seconds before it was to go into the crusher we heard a high-pitched squealing coming from the boot.

Looking to the future: Scrap yard worker Carl Dowling with the four lucky kittens

Saved: Shocked workers at Taroni's of Birmingham salvage firm, in the Aston area of the city, found the cute kittens last Thursday

New home: The playful kittens are being kept in the manager's office while the firm tries to find new homes for them

'A few of the lads looked at each other and we stopped the machines and listened again.

'We managed to force the boot open and there were these four kittens huddled by the spare wheel.'

Workers believe a feral cat living near the scrapyard climbed inside the car and gave birth before abandoning her litter.

Temporary home: The tiny kittens were discovered in this 1989 Porsche 944 which had been sold to the scrap yard for metal

Saved by a whisker: Workers believe a feral cat living near the scrapyard climbed inside the car and gave birth before abandoning her litter

Recovering: Stan Baldwin, who also works at the business, said:'The poor kittens were in such a sorry state, they were tiny and you could tell their eyes were straining from the bright light after being stuck in the dark'

Stan Baldwin, who also works at the business, said: 'The car was about to go into the big crusher to be turned into a square block of scrap.

'They were literally a few seconds from going into the crusher.

'We get a lot of stray cats around here and I think one of them must have got into the car through a broken window and then into the boot through another hole and gave birth to them.

'The poor kittens were in such a sorry state, they were tiny and you could tell their eyes were straining from the bright light after being stuck in the dark.

'There were very thin, so we gave them milk and they seem to be doing well.'

The kittens are being kept in the manager’s office while the firm tries to find new homes for them.